The Elephant Dance
by Charlotte JG
Summary: An elephant breaks into a housewife's backyard, who previously had a terrifying experience with her sister when trapped in an elephant dance.


**I apologise, this is my FIRST time writing fan fiction. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.**

**This is my attempt at a cross-over fanfic between Jungle Book and Water for Elephants (the books, not the movies!) This is the scene where Rosie escapes and breaks into someone's backyard. I have written it from the housewife's point of view, who had a terrifying experience with her sister in an elephant dance from Jungle Book.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.**

"Get it out of here, I _will_ call the cops!" I scream through the door.

The elephant's huge feet are slamming down on my vegetable patch while she rakes her trunk across the rows. After the phone call this morning, this is the second reminder of that one night all those years ago. It's just a coincidence I tell myself, even though it feels different. It's going to be okay, nothing will happen, this doesn't mean anything.

Through the red tinge in the glass panes of my back door, I watch as a young auburn-haired man runs and shoves his way through a rush of people. The elephant stares at him as she plucks one of my purple cabbages, drops it in the abyss of her mouth, and stamps on to steal a cucumber.

I open the door a crack and shriek as loud as I can manage, "Get that thing out of here! Get it out of here! Get it OUUTTTT!"

He responds with, "I'm doing my best!"

I want to scream 'No you are not!', but I don't want to argue. I can't bear to tear my eyes away from the elephant destroying my beautiful garden, let alone my sister's life. My hands begin to tremor.

He pleads with her, "Come on, Rosie. Please?" Is this a joke to him? Why isn't he doing anything? Doesn't he understand? I want her to stop! I want her out! I reach for the handle, but can't manage to pull myself through the door. I cannot see this 'dance', not today…

As her ears whip forward, she pauses and tears the flesh from my tomatoes. "No!" yells the useless auburn-haired man, "Bad elephant!" A sneer rips across her face as she steals the red globe in her mouth; its fresh juice bleeds down her skin. He mumbles something and appears to be giving up. Still glowering at him, she wraps her trunk around my turnip greens. The redness outside deepened as pain surged through my chest. Undergrowth had ripped with a noise like torn canvas. Patterns of blasting trumpeting rose and fell from the silence. My sister and I had found ourselves alone late at night in the heart of the Garo hills.

Ripping the turnip greens from the ground, the elephant shovels them into her mouth and continues glaring. The boy turns to me and looks desperate as two more men invade my yard from the growing crowd. One is wearing a suit and the other is in filthy overalls and carrying a bucket. Great, more people to intrude. This is supposed to be my _home_.

"Afternoon, ma'am." says the man in the suit, as he storms his way across my destroyed garden. Vivid images flash before me; it now appears just like the elephant's ballroom.

The elephants were all around me, thumping and thumping… I was blind. There was nothing but darkness. All I felt was compacted earth beneath my feet and fleeting patches of rough skin brushing my sides. Splattered with leaves and drenched with dew. My hands darted around everywhere, desperately searching for my sister. The sound was terrifying. Feet were pounding the ground in a rhythm like… The thrumming of my heart beat echoes in my ears.

I find myself hunching towards the wall, and grasp at my sides. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening." I struggle to convince myself through rushes of breath. The man in the suit climbs the stairs to where I am still peering through the crack of my back door. "I see you've met Rosie, the largest and most magnificent elephant in the world. You're lucky! She doesn't normally make house calls."

She is enormous, but anything other than magnificent. My mind goes blank. What could possess this man to believe such a thing? Eventually I manage to respond... "What?"

Still smiling, he continues, "It's an honour! No-one else in your neighbourhood or even the whole city, can say they have had an elephant in their backyard. Our men here will remove her and we'll fix up your garden and compensate you for your produce, too. Would you like a photograph of you and Rosie to show your family and friends?"

Why would I ever want this disastrous curse placed upon me? Is he insane? Maybe I have lost my mind. I would not like a photo, I would like to wake up and forget any of this ever happened. How did this happen?

I begin, but stammer, "I… I… What?" still shocked and beginning to feel light headed.

The suit man leans around the door and grips my shoulder. The door flashes white and the pane tilts on angles as I steady with the pain. I lose the weight of my body and his hand stays in place, holding me up and away from the comfort and support of a solid surface. His head looms over my shoulder as he says, "I think it would be easier if we discussed this inside."

I pause, trying to process what has been said. Stumbling backward, I follow the huge beast with my eyes as the door swings open.


End file.
